A Must Try for Potato Lovers: Varenyky
Usually an event that takes place in winter, varenyky-making takes up most of the kitchen counter. Akin to a pierogi, varenyky is a potato-packed dish best eaten with a side of sour cream. For the many potato lovers of the world, this Ukrainian dish is a must-have. My dad, the de facto cook in my house, shared this dish—one he learned from his parents—with me and my family, and it is a staple of my household’s food rotation (like shrimp stir fry, “Corrado’s sauce,” a family bolognese recipe, and grilled cheeses). My dad shared, “It’s great in the winter when you need some comfort food.” Though this dish is not the only that has been passed down, it is certainly my favorite. So, without further ado, please enjoy the recipe for this delicious, homey food!
This recipe makes around 35–40 varenyky if you are generous with filling. Otherwise, making extra dough may be needed.
Ingredients (dough):
3 cups flour
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup water
Ingredients (filling):
3 russet potatoes
Around 4 oz. of cream cheese (amount is up to individual preference, a good way to gauge how much you should add is by tasting the filling)
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
A quarter cup (or an eighth of a cup if you want the filling to be less sour) of feta
A quarter cup of cheddar cheese
A tablespoon of dill
Instructions (dough):
Place butter into a food processor and pulse until mixed. Then add water and pulse until mixed once again. The dough should be soft. Err on the side of softness because you can always add flour to stiffen the dough. Add more water to soften dough if needed.
Place dough onto a floured surface and knead for one minute. Then knead the dough into a ball, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Instructions (filling):
Peel the potatoes and cut them into inch-sized pieces.
Place the potatoes into boiling water and take them out when soft (about 20 minutes). The potatoes should be floating at the surface of the water and almost fall apart when stabbed with a fork.
Mash with cream cheese, salt, pepper, feta, cheddar, and dill.
Assembly:
Roll the dough out until it is very thin (3–4mm). You can separate the dough into multiple balls if needed (cover non-rolled-out dough with a kitchen towel to avoid it drying out).
Use a flour-dipped glass (get the rim of a glass wet and then dip it in flour; the diameter of the glass should be a little under 3 inches) to cut out circle shapes with the dough.
Place one heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of the dough circle.
Pinch the dough around the filling. If needed, coat part of the exterior of the dough with water to make it stick together.
Once a varenyky is made, place it on a kitchen towel and cover with another one so it doesn’t dry out.
Plop the varenyky into boiling water until they rise and let simmer for about a minute (you can cook about 15 varenyky at a time).
Strain each batch in a colander and rinse with warm water.
Drizzle with oil (light olive oil preferably).
(Optional) pan-fry in butter after boiling.
Varenyky can be served with chopped fried onions, caramelized onions, mushroom sauce, bacon bits, dill, and/or sour cream—I like to eat them with sour cream. My dad thinks they taste best when pan fried, which I would agree with. You can freeze any extra you have and throw them in a pan with butter to reheat them.